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Nakhon Phanom

Wat Okat is located on the waterfront near the customs house. It is one of the most revered temples in the province. It contains two sacred Buddha images, Phra Tiew and Phraw Tiem. They are both made of wood but covered in gold. According to legend, the images were found floating across the river from Laos hundreds of years ago.…

A must for anyone visiting this province is Phrathat Phanom which can be found in That Phanom District, about 50 kilometres from the provincial town. It is an important temple for people who were born on a Sunday. Since 1942, it has also been recognized as a royal class temple. The original structure collapsed in 1975 as it was very…

Nakhon Phanom Province has a lot of Vietnamese influence from the refugees that fled during the war of independence. A popular Vietnamese breakfast here is “Kai Ga Ta” which is an egg fried in your own pan. A kind of commemoration to this special tie is this 50 meter high clock tower that was built by Vietnamese artisans. On Friday…

The former Governor’s Residence has now been converted into a museum. Like some of the other buildings in this area, it was built with a Western influence, mainly French, during the Indo-China War. The museum contains information about the history of Nakhon Phanom and also of the famous Illustrated boat Procession called Lai Rue Fai. Their Majesties the King and…

St. Ann’a Church Nong Saeng, is on the waterfront not far from the former Governor’s Residence. The building dates back to 1926 and is a good example of the varied ethnicity of the residents of Nakhon Phanom. On Christmas Eve, local people come to the church to display home-made stars. They also have a Christmas Midnight Mass and local school…

One of the unexpected places that I visited in Nakhon Phanom was at Ban Na Chok where you can go and see Ho Chi Min’s house. Apparently the village used to be a safe haven for the ex-premier of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam while he was fighting for the independence of his country from 1924-1931. Ho Chi Minh was…